


Sunshine

by Endraking



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Born Wolf Liam, Chimera Theo, Controlled Theo, Explicit Language, Family Member Death, Family captured and held, Liam Dunbar is a Little Shit, Liam Dunbar-centric, Lost In The Wild, M/M, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, Theo Raeken is a Little Shit, Theo Raeken-centric, Thiam AU, Tragedy, Wilderness Survival, based on a prompt, little liam, raised by wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-03 21:15:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16333604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endraking/pseuds/Endraking
Summary: 8 year old born wolf Liam is flying with his parents over the wilderness in Canada.  The plane malfunctions and crashes amongst the expansive taiga.  10 years later, assistant and experiment of the Doctors, Theo, joins them on an expedition to utilize and claim the resources of the wilderness.  He knows he has to do well to ensure his families' safety but secretly hopes to find an answer to the rumors of the boy raised by wolves.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [manonlemelon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manonlemelon/gifts), [xTarmanderx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTarmanderx/gifts), [VolsungartheMighty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/gifts).



> It's official. I'm attempting this story and prompt. I hope everyone enjoys a story a bit different from my norm.

The bitter cold wind whipped around the rickety wooden structure, piercing the small holes and cracks, sending tiny jets of frigid air into the somewhat warmer building.  The lone boy with a mop of sandy blonde hair smashed two brightly colored, blocky, plastic dinosaur figurines together and mocked growling sounds as his air puffed to moisture clouds.  He roared like the T rex and jumped on the bench closer to the window that showed the near empty field for refueling.  He looked out to the singular aircraft and waved enthusiastically towards the two figures handling the fuel hose.  After a minute, they finished fueling and the woman in the thick puffy pink jacket waved back.

He knew they were getting ready to take off to the next airport, so he jumped off the bench and ran to his simple green bag with a name written in big letters with a sharpie on the front: LIAM DUNBAR.  He unzipped the main pouch and pushed his few books aside and shoved the dinosaurs deep into the bag.  He pulled the pack onto his back and pushed the fuzzy lined hood over his face and ran towards the door.  Before he could push it open, his step dad, David, covered head to toe in puffy warm clothes, opened the door and smiled to him, “Liam, are you ready to leave?”

He nodded his head energetically, “Yes, sir.  I want to fly!”

David scooped him up and carried him out into the frigid air.  The thick clouds blocked most of the sunlight casting everything in a grey tone.  As David carried him towards the plane, he noticed his mother talking to a man wrapped up in a brown coat.

The man asked, “Are you all set?”

Jenna smiled as she replied, “Yes.  All fueled up and ready to fly.  Is the runway clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am.  You are cleared for take off when you are ready.  Watch out though, there is a nasty storm brewing to the north.”

“That’s okay.  We’re skirting the southern side, so we can see the forest and then heading north past the Mackenzie Mountains.”

The man closed the distance and they gave each other a friendly hug, “Take care Jenna.  I look forward to seeing you and your family on your way back.”

She giggled as David approached, “You too Hal.  We might take another way back, but I’ll see about swinging through.”

The man waved as they climbed into the plane.

 

It wasn’t long before the plane was high in the air, cutting through the low clouds.  The engine rumbled the plane while Jenna kept it as smooth as possible through the wind shifts and turbulence.  Liam’s face was plastered to the window, his cheek and nose smushed against the cold glass as he struggled to see the forest below. 

He cheered, “Mom!  Mom!  Mom!  LOOK!!!!”  He tapped his fingers repeatedly against the only open space on the window.  David and Jenna laughed, and she replied, “Liam.  I can see but I need to concentrate on flying.”

His eyes widened, and his mouth opened wide, “Oh.”

David added with a smile as he looked back to Liam, “Your mother can see the trees and mountains.  It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Liam beamed a smile, “It’s purty!”

David laughed, “Yes, it is son.” 

The plane jolted and the engine staggered.  David looked to Jenna as she flipped a switch and watched the meters.  Liam unbuckled his four-point strap and leaned closer to the cockpit.  The dials bounced back and forth, and David asked, “Honey, is everything alright?”

She replied tensely, “I-I don’t know, David.  The engine.  Something is wrong with the engine.”

The plane stuttered and shook Liam to the floor as thick black smoke began to trail from the plane.  She gasped and grabbed the handset and keyed it, “Nahanni Butte, this is Sunshine.  Come in.”

Liam caught the scents of fear in the cab and pulled himself up.  His voice trembled, “Mom.  Dad.  Is everything okay?”

David quickly dismissed, “It’s okay, Liam” while Jenna repeated the message over the dead static.

Liam placed his hand on his mother’s shoulder as the plane jarred and the engine began to stall, the propeller spinning and abruptly stopping.  She desperately keyed the mic, “MayDay, MayDay, MayDay, Nahanni Butte.  Sunshine Cessna.  Engine failure.  Two adults one child.  Trying for an emergency landing.  Coordinates- “

The plane shook as fire shot from the engine and it took an immediately spiraled down.  She dropped the mic and grabbed a hold of the yoke.  She struggled to pull it back to stabilize the craft. 

Liam cried, “Momma.  I’m scared.”

David looked back and nudged Liam back into his seat, “Put on your seatbelt son.  Mom’s handling this.”

Jenna almost screamed as the plane steered to the right, still not able to level, “Liam, seatbelt!”  The trees appeared to be moving towards them as he tried to pull the straps back into place.

As the yoke locked, Jenna spoke through fear and tears, “David, Liam.  I love you.”

David gasped and reached over to help her steer, “Love you too, Honey.  You’ve landing a plane in worse condition than this.  You can do it.  We are landing this plane!”

Liam looked towards the front of the plane and screamed as the trees appeared to fly at them. 

The plane stuck the first, shaking from the contact.  The metal groaned as the metal projectile fell from the sky and cut through the forest.  The wings tore free and peeled back the metal from the side of the plane.  The door hung open, the joint tearing with the metal that fell.    The plane rapidly depressurized and Liam snatched the harness as the force sucked out their loose bags.  Jenna looked back and screamed, reaching for Liam, “Liam!  Give me your hand!” 

He extended his tiny, freezing hand and cried, “Mama!  I’m trying!!!”

The nose struck first and shattered the windows before it bounced and cut a path through the forest.  The plane struck the earth again and the little wolf lost his grip as he reached for his mother.  He flew through the opening as Jenna screamed for him.  His body scraped along the harsh ground from the force as the plane continued to tumble, tearing down trees until it landed on its top and skidded a deep ditch into the earth.

He barely managed to open his eyes and weakly call out to the metal wreckage, several hundred yards away.  “Mama.  Papa.”

Sleep pushed away the pain that began to numb as the cold settled on him.  Before his eyes closed he felt the prod of a wet nose against his neck.

 

_10 years Later_

 

Theo pulled his bags on to his back.  The thick leather jacket and clothes did little to protect against the chill that filled the air.  He tightened the straps as the logging truck that he hitched a ride on continued and left him at the small town.  He knew he smelled like gasoline, exhaust, and stress but that was the cost of being under the Doctor’s thumbs.  He followed the soggy, mud covered trail towards the trading post.

He sneezed and wiped his face as he grumbled to himself, “They couldn’t go somewhere in the tropics.  Fucking middle of nowhere Canada.”

It would be days before the Doctors would arrive, but they always sent him ahead to scout.  He used to think that he could escape during this time but learned the hard lesson years ago, when he first tried.

The Doctors held his family somewhere.  That much he knew.  That much he was reminded of every year.  He’d been their experiment for years now and wondered if he’d ever be free.  He’d never seen anyone leave their service willingly and most didn’t live to leave.

Expendable.  Failure.  These were words he didn’t want associated with himself.  These were words that condemned the experiments before him, the words that still condemned the ones after. 

The remaining experiments would arrive with the Doctors, with their other property.  He pulled out his GPS and noted the coordinates.  He had at least three days to find the site they identified for use and scout the surrounding area for any possible interruptions.  Three days to walk 50 kilometers, roughly.  It would be arduous but not impossible.  He’d done worse for them.  So much worse that his soul sank with the thought.

The bell to the general store dinged as he opened the simple wooden door and looked at the sparsely supplied shelves.  He glanced towards the desk with the register and the wall of pictures that blocked someone from walking behind the counter.  A kindly older man smiled at him and asked, “What brings you to these parts this time of year?  It’s cold, you know.”

His chuckle matched the temperature as he muttered, “Work.”

The man laughed heartily as he perused the shelves, “A strapping young man like yourself.  There isn’t much work here.  You should’ve stayed on the truck.  Mining and logging.  That’s where the money is here.  That’s where the work is.”

“Don’t worry about money.  I already have an employer.”

He picked up a few items, quick meals and snacks and carried them to the counter.  He looked to the wall of pictures.  There were mostly pictures of forests and people smiling.  The mines with exhausted workers or loggers.  He asked, “The forest.  What can you tell me about it?”

The old man slowly rang up the items, “Well, I can say you don’t want to get caught out in it alone.  It gets deadly cold and so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face.”

Theo scoffed, “I’m not worried about that.”

The old man raised his brow curiously, “Then maybe you should be concerned about what dwells in those dark expanses.  All sorts of predators.  Not exactly a safe place.”

“Anything in particular I should keep an eye out for?”

The old man took a deep breath and thought for a moment before he replied, “A grizzly ‘ill kill you just as easily as anything else but something tells me you are asking about the legend.”

Theo glanced back to the man and inquired, “Legend?  What legend?”

A smile broke across the man’s face as he eagerly replied, “You mean you aren’t here looking for the wolf boy?”

“Wolf boy?”

“Yeah.  The way it’s heard there is a vicious pack of wolves.  Blood thirsty in every meaning of the word.  That alone is enough to be wary but the boy the lives with them.  As mischievous as he is deadly.  They say he lures unsuspected travelers away from the roads and deep into the forest before he kills them.  Or his pack kills them.”

Theo could hold back the laughter of disbelief.  Did this old man really believe the nonsense that came out of his mouth.  Sometimes he was envious of simple people, but it wasn’t this time.

The man must’ve caught on to his thoughts as he defended with a hint of anger, “You think I’m pulling your leg.  The boy is real and so is his pack.  I’ve seen him with my own eyes.”

Theo scoffed, “Then how are you still here?  He must not be as dangerous as everyone thinks.”

More anger filled the man’s tone, “Boy, I am only here because I had enough sense to run.  I was on a camping trip deep within the forest.  Everything went well the first night but then things started to go wrong.  My bags were torn through while I was asleep.”

Theo interrupted with a hint of disdain, “Then maybe you should’ve locked them in your truck.”

The old man argued, “Maybe I did, and they got inside.  When I went to get some more firewood, my tent was shredded, and my sleeping bag was gone.  I only had my camera and my truck.  So I figured that was the forest telling me I should go.”

Theo tapped his fingers on the counter in annoyance, “Sounds terrible.  But it doesn’t sound like a wolf boy.  Someone else could’ve stole your things and tore up your camp.”

“With claws?  I doubt it.  So I go to leave and realize my keys were gone.  It was a long hike and I was already losing daylight, so I figured an old truck was worth the price of possibly my life and began the hike.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “And they all lived happily ever after, right?”

“No.  I don’t even know why I’m telling an obstinate little shit like you.”

The grin blossomed across his face, “Because telling me gives you validation.  Go on.  I’m all ears.”

The man reached from behind the counter and yanked a picture from the wall.  He continued with conviction, “Then you’d better open your eyes too.”

He slid the blurry photo across the counter.  Theo assessed the picture as the old man continued, “Like I said, long hike.  The sun set a bit quicker than I thought and before I knew it, I was being harried by the pack.  Their threatening howls echoed around me.  So I ran.  I don’t know how long I ran.  I know I dropped my flashlight, so I held my camera.  I didn’t know what I’d do with it but at least I could use the flash to scare them or hit them with it.”

After a pause the man stared off and continued, not really speaking to him but speaking beyond, “They were closing in.  I could hear the ragged breaths and feel the eyes on me.  I started whispering the lord’s prayer as my legs began to falter.  It’s then that I felt it.  A pair of eyes on me.  A pair of malicious golden eyes.  Without thinking, I pointed my camera and took that picture.  The flash must’ve lit up the near pitch-black darkness.  I know what I saw.  I saw that pack of wolves, hungry maws ready to tear me apart but most of all, I saw him.  I saw the wolf boy.”

Theo stared at the blurry photo.  There was no doubt that something had moved quickly.  The flash had lit up something or someone, their pale skin blurred from movement.  He couldn’t make out much but the reflection of lights from the eyes caught him.  It was a telltale sign of a werewolf. 

He reached into his pocket and slid some money on the counter towards the old man.  With a smug grin he replied, “That’s a good story, but don’t quit your day job.  A blurry photo of something in the dark doesn’t prove anything.  But hey, if I find the wolf boy, I’ll tell him where Bigfoot and the Easter bunny meet so he can board the space craft behind Haley’s comet.”

The old man grumbled and took the cash while he loaded the food into his bag.  As he slung his bag after finishing, the old man added with sincerity, “Be careful out there.  I wouldn’t want your face joining the other wall.”

Theo smirked but his smug nature fell away as he stared at the wall of faces near the door.  It was covered with missing posters.  He slowly walked towards it and glanced across.  The oldest dated photos showed three people.  A man, A woman, and their son.  He looked back to the old man, “If this many people go missing, why does anyone come here?”

The old man smugly replied, “Work.”


	2. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo hikes into the forest. Liam finds the strange man and follows him.

Chocolate

 

 

The cold began to settle into his bones as pulled the sleeping mat from the top of his pack.  He unrolled it near the small fire he’d built.  Theo knew he wouldn’t be able to build it too large, for fear of it getting out of control.  While it was cold, the fallen trees and dead plants were already dry enough to risk catching fire even though it rained the day he arrived. 

He listened to the sounds of the forest and found them eerily quieter than he expected.  The trees did a great job covering the lights from the stars.  He felt odd.

The darkness alone should be enough for him to feel small, insignificant, and alone but the nagging thought pushed from the back of his mind: _You aren’t alone._   He took a deep breath and tried to let the scents flow over the tongue to pull anything, but he could only catch the trees, the earth, the creek not far from his makeshift camp, and the herd of caribou that must’ve left shortly before he arrived.

He checked his GPS and noted that he’d made it over half way to the site.  He could hardly believe it but the fire in his legs and feet quickly dispelled the notion of disbelief.  His stomach grumbled loudly before he reached into the bag and pulled out a protein bar and a chocolate bar. 

He knew he needed the mostly oily, salty, and bland protein bar but he made certain he had a few sweets.  After slowly eating the protein and drinking his canteen of water, he ate half the chocolate bar.  He relished the taste and folded the wrapper over the second half.  He would reward himself with it tomorrow.  Maybe reward himself by catching dinner that he could cook too.

His mind went back to the day’s walk.  He didn’t see nor hear many animals and their scents were nowhere to be found.  It was almost like the only life in the forest were the plants.  This kind of environment wasn’t anything new to him except that the wildlife usually fled _after_ the doctors arrived.

He grabbed the sleeping bag and unrolled it on top of the mat.  When he was content with the placement, he began to remove his clothes.  Just after he peeled off his underwear, he felt a chill flash across his naked body.  He wanted to attribute it to the cold, but this was a different kind of chill.  He flashed his eyes gold as he scanned the forest.  He felt the eyes on him but couldn’t find them.  Once again he tried to catch a scent but to no avail.

Maybe the wolf boy was real.  Maybe the wolf boy was watching him right now.  Still, the boy could be out there watching him and yet unable to be tracked.  If so, maybe the wolf boy could be strong enough to help him stop the doctors. 

He slid his clothes onto the mat under his sleeping bag before he climbed in and zipped it shut.  He tilted his head and watched the flames begin to die.  It wouldn’t be long before they were only cinders but for now the oranges and reds danced before his eyes.

In less than two weeks it would be time again.  His heart sank when he thought about it.  How many years this same ritual happened.  This would be the eleventh year.  Each time hurt more than the last but after his “punishment” he couldn’t really look forward to it.

The Doctors set up a video and he got to see his family.  Once a year, like the perverse Santa Clauses they were, he’d receive the gift.  A simple ten-minute video.  Then darkness for the rest of the year.  The squeak of the wheelchair haunted his dreams ever since.

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind.  He couldn’t afford to be distracted, to become expendable, a failure.  Their lives were in his hands.  He couldn’t fail them.  Not again.

 

The rain from the day prior had dampened the scents of the forest but once things cleared, he could smell for miles.  He bounded through the brush, his nose leading him away from the pack but towards food.  He licked his chops as the rabbit’s scent pulled him farther from the area the pack chose to stay in.  The pups were mobile, but they weren’t ready for the long trek.  It would be a few moons before they were strong enough so, for now, the forest closer to people would work. 

He pounced from one of the bushes, expecting the rabbit to be on the other side, but found a large beetle next to a flower.  He leaned close and took a few whiffs.  The beetle smelled weird and he sneezed, shaking his maw left and right rapidly.  The beetle smelled unusual.  Not swamp people unusual but not really from this area. 

The shiny black shell started to move away, and he plopped his huge paw over it.  He leaned closer and the beetle slipped from his toes and scurried.  He huffed and bounded to the other side of the bug.  The beetle changed directions and he yipped at it.  This bug did not like to listen.  He growled and barked as he nearly belly crawled to follow it. 

With his focus locked on the tiny black creature he missed the rabbit that leapt from the bushes and darted further in the forest.  He broke his attention and looked to the white tail of the rabbit as it fled.  He rapidly looked from the rabbit to the beetle, back to the rabbit, and back to…where the beetle was but was now devoid of the bug.  He scratched the ground around the plants.  With a whine he stood up.  He lost his beetle friend.

He padded through the growth, moving farther away from the pack when the sounds of their barks alerted him.  They were moving away.  There was something in the forest.  He howled back to the pack that he was near and would check out the danger.  After hearing the echoes, he raised his snout and caught the scent difference. 

It was a person.  No question about that.  But the person’s scent wasn’t like the people from the towns.  They smelled different.  He needed to go see them.

He stalked closer to the smell, keeping himself hidden in the underbrush.  The human trails didn’t go the path this man walked.  He saw the man as he checked something in his hand.  It looked plastic and fake, like lots of things people carried, and didn’t smell much.  He tilted his head at the dark-haired man carrying a huge backpack.

He took another deep breath and his mouth watered as soon as the scent hit.  He knew it.  His favorite scent.  Chocolate!  He started to walk towards the man but quickly stopped himself.  He didn’t know this man.  Sure, he’d walked up to the people of the town during their hikes, pretended to be a lost pet and filched it from their bags, but this was different. 

This man was walking towards the swamp people.  Nothing lived near the swamp people.  When the man continued to walk, he caught the wind and followed along the edge of the vegetation, just downwind of the man, masking his scent. 

They walked so far.  He heard the distant howls from his pack but held back his response.  He knew they moved but not far from his den, so he didn’t worry.  He’d let them know where he went when he was closer.  Day fell to night and his eyes fell on the fire the man created.  Fear shot through him. 

Fire was bad.  Fire had destroyed one of his dens in the past.  Fire attracted the swamp people and they were really close to them.  He looked back to the darkness in the direction of his den and when he turned around, he saw the man.  Naked.

The light from the fire played with the shadows and highlighted the contours of this man’s body.  He felt the same stirring from mating season and inched ever so closer.  The man must’ve seen him because he turned and looked in his direction.  His eyes.

The man’s eyes glowed.  Just like his.  He knew there was something else to his scent.  This man was like him.  Except beautiful.  The man raised his head, just like he would to catch a scent and he froze.  After a moment of staring, the man placed his clothes underneath his bag and climbed in.  He inched closer, watching the man’s form and the fire die down. 

When he only heard the gentle sounds of the man’s slow breaths and heartbeat, he padded down to the campsite.  The fire was almost out but he caught the scent of the swamp people.  Swamp people hated people.  They hurt people and he was struck with a newfound sense of responsibility for this man wolf.  When he reached the fire, he shifted to his human form.  He scooped large amounts of dirt into his hands and smothered the remains of the fire with it. 

Only the faintest oranges glowed, and he looked to the man with his human eyes.  He caught his breath as he gazed at the sleeping man’s face.  He was so pretty, like a sunset, or the stars above on a clear night.  He had to shake the thought before he moved to the man’s pack.  He pulled back the string and chased the scent of chocolate. 

When he found and retrieved the half-eaten bar, he held it up with a smile.  He set it down and looked into the bag.  He set the folded clothes outside, one article at a time.  This bag smelled like the man.  It smelled so good, like the forest after a gentle rain.  When he grabbed a plastic bag that crinkled, he froze.  He looked back to the man as he rolled over in the bag.  His eyes widened, and he scooped up the bar, placing it into the bag before he slowly moved away.

The crack of a branch further in the forest caught his attention.  Swamp people.  He couldn’t mistake their scent.  He looked to the man and then further into the forest.  He knew what he needed to do.  He’d get the swamp people to chase him.  Then they wouldn’t find the beautiful man wolf.

He shifted back to his wolf form and carried the plastic bag in his mouth as he darted deep into the forest, towards the scents and sounds of the swamp people.

 

Theo shivered in his bag, the light of the day barely breaking through the trees overhead.  His legs still felt stiff from yesterday's exertion but as he tensed and stretched within the bag, they began to feel better.  He knew that once he began to move, they'd feel good again.  His eyes barely cracked open to see the fire he had built covered with dirt.  He took a deep breath and caught the scent of a wolf. 

He sat up quickly and looked at the small campsite.  His bag was open, and the folded clothes were stacked in piles next to it.  He curiously checked his bag and found that someone or something took his chocolate bar and the bag he used to collect his wrappers and other garbage. 

He pulled out his clothes and put on the outfit warmed by his body heat.  The warmth they held felt good against his rapidly cooling skin.  He gathered up his clothes and bedding and fixed his bag for the day’s hike.  The wolf’s scent returned to his mind after he threw on the bag and stared at the firepit.  Just outside of it there were handprints and footprints.  A person’s hand and foot prints. 

He smiled to himself before he looked around and tried to catch a scent.  He’d been visited by the Wolf boy.  Maybe he could find this Wolf boy.  It would be a distraction from the other work the Doctors would have him do.  Unlike their frequently macabre orders, it was something he could look forward to, a desire that was his.  He followed his GPS as he walked further into the eerily quiet forest.

He had difficulty admitting it but today he felt lonelier.  The presence from yesterday was gone.  Maybe it wasn’t as menacing as he originally thought. 


End file.
